The Bad Wind

The Bad Wind

Jackson Fame followed his classmates to his seat five rows from the front. The sun was making him hot, as it shined over the football field. He wished tradition did not require them to wear such hot robes, and hats. He felt beads of sweat fall down his face, and he wondered if it was from being hot, or nervous. He only had to shake the principal's hand, get his high-school diploma, and have his picture taken, but he still had butterflies fluttering in his stomach about the whole ordeal. It would have helped if he could have sat by someone he knew. He could not figure out which was more pitiful, he did not know the people sitting next to him, or after surviving thirteen years of school, he had only a few friends to show for it. Jackson looked up and smiled as he saw one of his few friends sitting on the stage looking more anxious than him.

The Prayer, the Salute to the Flag, and Principal Mark's speech seemed to drag on for ages. Anna James crossed and uncrossed her legs so many times she had lost count. She hoped that the hundreds of eyes staring at her had not noticed her restlessness.

"Why did I have to be so smart?" Anna questioned herself underneath her breath.

She loathed being on display. It felt more like punishment for being Valedictorian than a reward. Her speech was memorized, but she was afraid that the worms crawling around in her stomach would eat it from her brain. Anna searched for a way to calm down, because her speech was next. She scanned the graduates sitting in front of her until she found the peace she was looking for. There he sat, five rows from the front, appearing to be as nervous as she was. He lifted his head, and met Anna's gaze by placing his dark, blue eyes onto hers, and curving his lips into a smile. For a long moment, Jackson Fame and Anna James held eye contact until they were sure the other one felt better. As soon as Anna struggled her eyes free from Jackson's hold, she heard Principal Mark call her name followed by her new title. An eruption of applause came, as she apprehensively rose from her seat, and took one more fleeting look toward Jackson, who nodded his head at the microphone coaxing her to proceed.

Jackson scooted up to the edge of his seat as if it would allow him to hear her words better. His eyes had glued themselves on her. He lost his breath when he noticed how gorgeous she looked, even in an over sized mahogany robe and a square shaped hat that smashed her brunette curls down. He listened closely to her speech and grasped onto the sound of her voice.

"Today we leave behind an era of friendships and struggles, and the last fifteen years of our life. As I gaze my vision across all of you today, my heart aches. We will close this chapter in our life, and soon we will open a new one. I can see fear in most of your eyes. Fear for the uncertainty of what the future holds. All of us have struggled to make it this far, and our reward is moving on with our lives. As we each head in different directions, I ask you to remember the people who helped you to get to your destination. Teachers, friends, and family, without them none of us would be sitting here today. I pray all of you will be successful in your endeavors. Do not worry about what the future holds. Whatever it ends up being, it will be your purpose in life. Now I congratulate you, class of 2002! May we always keep staring ahead, but never lose sight of the past."

As Anna held hundreds of people captivated by her speech, Jackson felt his heart skip at least five beats. He could not confiscate his eyes from his close friend, and it was during this moment he fell in love with her. Maybe he had always loved her, but he was awake for the first time in his life while he watched her do her magic.

Anna's face exploded into the widest smile, as the thunderous applause echoed through the air. She saw him standing up and clapping unyielding with tears staining his face. She blew a kiss toward Jackson Fame and strolled back to her seat. Nothing could keep her from taking pleasure in this moment. Not even the nonattendance of the only family she had, her Stepfather. This was her moment. She was not going to let ‘The Bad Wind’ take it away. She absorbed the feeling of success throughout the rest of the ceremony.

Jackson counted, as five hats fell from the sky and struck him in the head. This was not as amusing as he always pictured it. He picked up a hat, he was sure was not the one he had on his head earlier, and quickly began maneuvering through the developing crowd. In the six years he had known Anna, he had never been more proud of her than he was at this moment. He also never had this much yearning to just wrap his arms around her, and kiss her, but right now it seemed impossible to get to her. The crowd in front of him made him feel claustrophobic, and he wondered if it was a sign. Maybe fate was sparing him heartache, because Anna may not concur with what he was going to do when he reached her. He shoved the negative thought aside as he continued to take on the vast crowd. He knew what he had to do. It was the only thing that would keep him from exploding.

Anna felt like a terrible football player. Every time she tried to progress forward to where Jackson was sitting, she got shoved back where she had started.

"Excuse me!" She shouted.

No one cared. They wanted her to move so they could get to their loved ones. It was hopeless. She did not want Jackson to leave without thanking him for getting her through her speech. Also, she needed a ride, seeing as how no one was pushing their way through the crowd for her. She was about to give up when she spotted her dark-haired friend fighting his way through the crowd headed straight for her. She was sure it was Jackson, but he looked different. His dark blue eyes were aimed at her while his handsome face bore an intense look. He resembled the determination of a soldier on a mission that would kill him if he failed. She could not decide if she should run away from him, or to him.

Jackson breathed a sigh of liberation when he finally reached Anna. He stopped a few inches from her body, relaxing a little when she did not back away. Ignoring the bewilderment on her face, he directed his eyes to meet hers, attempting to read her mind, but her blank, wide-eyed stare made it tricky. His mouth opened to speak, but there were no words to describe what was going on in his heart. Deciding to show her instead, He lifted his hand to caress the velvety skin of her cheek. While he held her face in his hands, he bit by bit moved his lips closer to hers, in case she wanted to withdraw.

Anna did not budge, as Jackson attached his mouth with hers, in a kiss that lit the whole world on fire. She was kissing him back now with more enthusiasm than she ever knew she possessed. She wrapped her unsteady arms around his waist striving to pull his body even closer to hers. His hands moved from her face and into her curls, as his mouth dug deeper into hers. She sensed people struggling to get around them, but she blocked them from her mind as chills fluttered all over her body, making her tremble in Jackson's arms. She had to make herself breathe, when to her disappointment, Jackson ended the kiss. He took a deep breath as he exhaled the word "Wow!", and leaned his forehead against hers.

"What just happened here?" Anna breathlessly asked him as her heart beat harder than a drum.

Jackson took a moment to answer her as he smiled and tucked a curl behind her ear. "You were amazing up there tonight."

"You didn't answer my question. What just happened? Why did you kiss me, and why can't I stop thinking about wanting you to do it again?" With that said she grabbed his face in her hands and rapidly kissed his mouth again.

Jackson took another moment to recuperate from the electricity of her kiss.

"When I saw you on stage tonight in front of all those people, something hit me hard." He paused to meet her eyes.

"I was proud of you, Anna. I know how good of friends we are, but at that moment I didn't want to be just your friend. I wanted all of your heart. I think I fell in love with you, Anna." His eyes did not leave as he waited for her to speak.

"Love?" She questioned him.

Jackson smiled and nodded still keeping his gaze on her.

Anna wondered why this was happening to her now. She had just graduated, and she had received a free ride to Harvard University. She was ready to get out of this place and away from her stepfather, so she could start a new life. Now, here stood a great friend, confessing his love for her. Well he was about five years too late. The problem was she was also five years too late, because the moment he kissed her, she had fallen in love also.

"Me too,” Anna confessed, afraid of her own words.

Jackson released the breath he was holding and kissed her once again. This time it was Anna who pulled away first.

"What do we do now?" Anna asked.

"We get out of here, come on." He reached out and took hold of her hand. He used his other hand to reach in his back pocket and take out his cell-phone, so he could call his parents and let them know he was leaving with Anna. They were already to their car trying to beat the crowd, and they reminded him to be home before daybreak and to be careful.

"There is a party." Anna informed Jackson.

"How about we don't go to a party? We can just go somewhere nice, just you and me. How much do we really care about getting wasted and embarrassing ourselves anyway?"

"I agree. Let's go."

Anna let Jackson lead her out to his dark, green Ford Ranger. She couldn't recall the last time she had felt so thrilled and excited. It was almost like she was ten years old, and she was getting into a roller-coaster, instead of Jackson's truck.

Jackson took Anna to a quiet, romantic Italian restaurant. Anna had never experienced anything so exceptional in her life. The restaurant was dimly lit, and they had a band playing string instruments while they ate. Both of them were too lovesick to eat much, so halfway through the meal they got up and danced with each other to the slow romantic music. They fit together closely and comfortably, moving as if they had been doing it for years. Neither of them was ready to call it a night after dinner, so Jackson took Anna to a creek where he had always enjoyed playing, as a child. It was a luminous sight in Anna's opinion, especially at night, when the moon reflected off the water, creating small beads of dancing light. The two of them had a wonderful time, kissing, flirting, and swimming in the warm, foggy water. When they grew tired, they rested together, sitting side by side on the edge of the dock, gazing at the moon and stars while holding each other close, not wanting to ever let go.

"Do you remember the first day of freshman year?" Jackson asked her.

"Of course I remember" Anna grinned.

"This big senior guy was picking on me, and he cornered me against the wall. I remember being so scared. Then you came along and said 'Hey! Get away from my best friend!' Then his attention was on you instead of me. He beat you to a pulp that day." Anna cringed at remembering the vision of Jackson getting beat up.

"I didn't know then, but I always felt I had to protect you. I remember thinking the whole time he was hitting me, at least it wasn't Anna." Jackson directed his attention back to the stars as he squeezed Anna's hand.

"Do you remember Sandy Williams?" Anna asked.

"Her?" Jackson scrunched his face up.

"I only dated her for two weeks." He commented.

"I was jealous of her. I didn't like her touching you, and I didn't like the attention you were giving her instead of me." Anna admitted.

Jackson extended his arm across and took her chin in his hands. He lightly placed a brief, kiss on her lips.

"You have my attention now." He told her.

"I know I have it now, Jackson, but what about two months from now? I got a free ride to Harvard. I have to get away from my Step-Dad and make a life for myself. You’re staying here for college. What are we going to do then? It seems so unfair for all of this to be happening now."

Anna didn't realize she was crying until she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Jackson lifted his hand to catch it, and then he wiped away the rest of her tears as her face rested comfortably in his hands.

"It's all right, Anna." He softly said. “We don't have to figure it all out tonight. We are here together, and it will have to do for now. We have the whole summer to think about what we’re going to do, so let's just enjoy it. I love you. I’ll find a way to make this work.”

He kissed her long and hard, and this time neither one of them pulled away. On their Graduation night, under the moon and stars, on the dock of the creek, they passionately made love for the first time. Afterward, they fell asleep in the comfort of each others' arms, where they both felt safe and loved.



Anna awoke the next morning wondering why her clothes were off, and why she was wrapped in the strong arms of her best friend. She quickly smiled when she finally remembered, and took a look at her watch.

"Oh no!" Anna screamed.

Jackson quickly woke up and looked at Anna. "What is it?"

He noticed her struggling to get her clothes back on. He released a smile as he was struck with her morning beauty, and how much he adored her, even while she was frantically hopping around.

"It's 8:30 Jackson! My Step-Dad is going to be mad. He doesn’t like it, when he doesn’t know where I'm at." She threw Jackson's shirt at him, letting him know he needed to get dressed quickly.

"Anna, slow down, Baby. It'll be fine."

He didn't like the fear in her voice. He knew her Step-Father was a drunk, and Anna had always taken care of him. He thought, if anything, the man should cut her some slack.

"Can we go, please, now?" The desperation in her eyes made Jackson flinch. He got dressed and led her back to his truck.

When Jackson pulled in Anna's driveway, her Stepfather was waiting for her on the front porch. He did not look happy, and he definitely did not look sober. Anna's house was not a pleasure to look at. Her Stepfather was unemployed, so the only income they had was the settlement from Anna's Mom's malpractice suit, welfare, and food-stamps. Frank Milner stood up and almost fell over. He stumbled his way toward the Ford Ranger.

“Anna! Where in the hell have you been! There was no one here last night! I couldn't get my key to work, and I had to stay out on the porch all night,” He angrily pointed out, as he made his way to the passenger side of Jackson's truck.

Without thinking twice, Jackson clicked the locks.

"I'm not letting you out, Anna."

He had a deep, uneasy feeling developing in the pit of his stomach at the thought of leaving Anna with this drunk, angry man, who looked at her like he wanted to rip her head off.

"Damn you, Boy! This is none of your business. Now you let me have my daughter or I'll call the police, you hear!" He then spit a huge wad of tobacco on the front windshield, making Anna and Jackson both cringe in disgust.

Jackson turned the washer fluid and the windshield wipers on, spraying Frank in the face, and slinging the brown muck all over him. He glanced over at Anna who was lightly laughing, but also looking a bit uncomfortable.

"You think that's funny, Boy!" Frank mumbled, and then he fell over and passed out.

Annas' expression completely changed from uncomfortable laughter to a serious, get down to business expression.

"Jackson, let me out." Anna demanded.

"No way." Jackson stared at her with the same determination he had last night when he kissed her for the first time.

"He always does this Jackson, let me go. I have to take care of him. I'm all he has."

Anna noticed Jackson's cold stare, and realized she was not winning him over.

"Please, I'll be fine. I do it all the time." She reached over and unlocked her door, but Jackson locked it right back.

"I never knew it was this bad, Anna. I have a bad feeling. I don't like it." He reached out to take her hand, but this time Anna yanked it away.

"You never seemed to care before, Jackson. You can't just swoop me off my feet and expect me to change my life. He is my responsibility, at least for the next two months. If you want to be with me, you have to respect that." Anna reached back over and unlocked the door. She kissed Jackson on the cheek and climbed out.

"Anna!" Jackson called to her.

Anna turned around and looked at him.

"He's your responsibility, but are you his? No, you’re not." He noticed the frustration in his voice, so he took it down a notch.

"You’re my responsibility now, Anna. I love you. Please be careful and don't let him hurt you."

"He won't, Jackson. I promise." She gave Jackson a reassuring smile, and walked over to Frank. She hesitated as she began to wake him up. She really didn't want Jackson to witness this.

"Go, Jackson. I'll call you later, please go." She felt bad, for pushing Jackson away, but this was her problem to handle, it had always been.

Jackson hated to leave, but he didn't want to cause Anna any more pain. He knew it would be embarrassing for her to help her Stepfather in front of him, so he gave her a long look, and backed out of the driveway. He had no reason not to trust her, when she said she could handle it. It still took all the energy he owned to restrain from turning the truck around.

"Frank! Get up!" Anna demanded. She was furious at him for causing a scene in front of Jackson. She was also aggravated, because he was drunk again, and he missed her graduation.

Frank sat up and coughed, moaning in a drunken agony.

"Anna is that you? Take me inside to lie down. I feel so sick. I'm sorry, Anna. I love you. You’re all I have."

Frank clumsily stood up, and Anna helped him inside. She laid him in his bed, and pulled off his boots. He fell asleep quickly while Anna stared at him with more disappointment and disgust she could handle at one time.

"Just you wait, Frank. I'm leaving and you can't stop me. What are you going to do then?" Annas' eyes burned with furry.

"You have made my life a nightmare, but I survived. I put up with you, and I got into Harvard. I bet you’re not even proud of me. Someone told me last night they were proud of me. I never heard those words before. After everything I have done for you, I should have heard them from you.” She coldly stated.

Anna turned away and went to lie down in her room. She drifted off to sleep with warm thoughts of Jackson and hateful thoughts of Frank.

Jackson awoke to the sound of his cell-phone ringing. He quickly jumped up and grabbed it off his night stand.

"Hello." He said groggily.

"Told you I'd call." Jackson swore he was hearing the voice of an angel.

"Are you all right? I was worried about you." Jackson immediately asked her.

"Everything is fine. To prove it, can you come pick me up? Frank is still sleeping, he won't miss me, but I miss you. I want to see your face." Anna said.

"God, I miss you too, Anna. I'll be there in ten minutes." He didn’t waste any time jumping out of bed and getting ready while his heart anticipated the excitement of being near Anna.

Jackson arrived promptly as promised. This time he introduced Anna to a more casual restaurant. Afterward, they ended up back at the creek, where they had made love just the night before. They talked, laughed, and just relaxed in the company of each other. Finally, Jackson questioned Anna about her family. He knew her mother was dead, but Anna never talked about it with him before. She had always kept her family life a little bit secret when they were just friends, but Jackson just assumed she would talk to him when she was ready. After witnessing Franks' behavior this morning, Jackson felt it was time for Anna to confide in him. They were sitting on the edge of the dock again, with their bare feet intertwined and dangling in the water.

"Anna, what happened to your Mom? I know you don't like to talk about her, but I need to know." Jackson stared into her eyes with ease, to show her she could trust him.

Anna sucked in her breath, as she got ready to reveal all ‘The Bad Wind’ in her life. She liked to call her bad experiences ‘The Bad Wind’. It just seemed easier to handle them all as one bad returning thing, rather than several.

"When I was five years old, she died of a heart attack. She went to the doctor the day before, and he diagnosed her with walking Pneumonia, but he didn't further check into her symptoms pertaining to her heart. She came to wake me up the next morning for school, but she didn't make it to my room. She died in the hallway." Anna felt a hot tear burn and tickle her cheek.

Jackson wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her back against his chest, allowing her to lean against him, resting her head between his neck and shoulders.

"What about Frank? Where did he come from?" Jackson asked.

"My Dad left when I was only two weeks old. Mom fell in love with Frank when I was two. Frank used to be a great person. I loved him so much. I even looked up to him. When Mom died, the old Frank kind of died too. He got custody of me, and he was all right for a little while, but then he started drinking. I would come home from school, and find him passed out on the couch. I was only six years old. I thought he was just sick, so I took care of him.

Jackson squeezed her tight and planted a kiss on the top of her forehead as Anna continued.

"When I finally understood Frank had become a drunk and there was nothing I could do to save him, I knew I had to make my own future somehow. I was ten years old when I dedicated my life to my school work. I got principal's list every time. I remember being so excited to bring my report card home and show Frank, but he never cared. One time he ripped it up, told me to stop bragging about myself, and demanded that I bring him another beer. So I did, and I never showed him another thing. I always took care of him because it was what Mom would have wanted, and I still had hope of walking through the door and seeing the old Frank, instead of the wasted piece of crap he had become.”

Anna cringed in Jackson's arms. She had never spoken out loud to anyone before about her Mom or Frank. It was different with Jackson. She felt as if she could tell him anything, and he would love her just the same, if not more. She wondered if Jackson was her reward for all 'The Bad Wind' she had suffered in her life. She received her answer when he lowered his head down, and kissed her lightly on the lips, and sweetly whispered "I love you" in her ear. She believed she had finally been blessed with something wonderful. She turned around and embraced him with all her might, just in case ‘The Bad Wind’ wanted to take him away.

Jackson and Anna spent the next seven weeks together, just the way they did the first two nights after their graduation. Every day they tried new things, but afterward, almost every night, they ended up back at the creek. The creek was always deserted, almost like Cupid had emptied it just for Jackson and Anna. Jackson always made sure Anna got home on time, so she could take care of Frank, even though his instincts shouted at him every time he had to drop her off to the creep. He wanted more than anything to take Anna far away from him, but Anna still felt she had to take care of Frank for the next two months. She kept informing Jackson she would be free from Frank when she got to Harvard. Of course this remark only made Jackson more uneasy because he knew when she got to Harvard she would be free from Frank, but she would also be miles away from Jackson's reach. He could not imagine what a day would be like without getting to touch her or see her beautiful face. Anna was more important to him than anything else in the world. She was his future, his purpose in life.

One evening, Anna sat in her room and wondered if she was smart enough to figure out a way to stop time. The end of the summer was a week away, and she had not even started packing yet. For one thing, she was scared to pack with Frank in the next room because he was not aware she was going to leave him soon. The other thing was Jackson. If she packed, it meant their summer was ending. She still had one week left to enjoy every second of him. She got excited when she remembered they were going to meet at the creek in one hour. Her thoughts drifted farther away from packing and closer to the thought of Jacksons' strong arms around her body, when a loud banging on her door made her jump straight off her bed into the floor.

"Anna!" Annas' eyes grew wide at the angry sound of Frank's voice. She was glad her door was locked.

"Someone just called from Harvard University for you. I took a message, and they said your dorm room is all ready to move into." Frank informed her angrily.

Anna's heart started beating fast when she realized Frank had found out she was leaving.

"What the hell do you think your doing?! I thought I always made it clear. Your place is here with me! You're not leaving me alone! You can forget it!”

Anna could picture in her mind the veins rising in Frank's neck through the door. She decided now was her time to stand up to him.

"I'm going, Frank! You can't stop me. You’re not my responsibility anymore."

Anna shuttered at the words escaping from her own mouth. She knew they had potential to send Frank off the deep end.

Frank growled while he ran and slammed his body into Anna's bedroom door. It was all the force the door needed to come smashing down in two pieces, allowing an out of control, Frank to enter. Anna's entire body became consumed with terror, as Frank staggered toward her. She had never seen him this furious.

"Leave me alone. Get away from me."

Anna was alarmed at how quiet her own voice sounded to her. She felt like a mouse trapped by an oversized, evil black cat. She frantically leaped off the floor and started to scurry backward, away from her prey.

Frank flashed an evil grin. It created chills like spiders crawling up and down Anna's body.

"You think you can leave me behind? You are wrong, I won't let you." With this said, he flung himself toward her, crushing her body hard against the wall.

Frank then clutched a huge hand full of her curls yanking them until her head leaned back. He buried his face into her neck and began to lick, and kiss her with his tongue.

Anna hollered out in disgust and quivered underneath his strong grip on her. She desperately fought to push him away, but he wouldn't budge. He was stronger than she was. He proved it when he raised his head and released his grip on her, for one second, to slam his fist hard into the right side of Anna's innocent face. Her head jerked back from the strong force of his punch. She let out a painfully, screaming cry, and continued to fight her way free from Satan himself.

"How are you going to leave me now?" He angrily questioned her as he slid his hand underneath her shirt, and forced it in the direction of her breast.

"Please, don't touch me! Please, don't do this to me!" Anna screamed at him this time while terror continued to eat her alive.

Frank replied by slamming his fist hard into her lip, busting it open, and sending blood flying through the air. Anna screamed out in pain, and fear, as she considered giving up the fight. Then her thoughts automatically arrived on Jackson, and how she may never get a chance to see him again. This thought created an extra boost of adrenaline to flow through her weak body. She lunged forward with enough force to knock an eighteen- wheeler over, sending Frank reeling to the floor, taking Anna with him, because he still had a grip on her arm, squeezing it so tight it was cutting off her circulation. Without thinking she reached over and bit him harder than a piece of steak, until he shouted out in pain, and released his hold on her. Then she automatically rose to her feet, and used one of them to smash his face in, forcing him into a deep unconscious sleep. She bolted out the front door of her house, and in the direction of the creek, the place where she knew Jackson would be. The creek was two miles away, but Anna never took a break, even though pain was all she could feel, and it had started to rain, the terror inside her made her run through it all.

Jackson cursed silently to himself after looking at the time on the clock. He completely lost track of time. He picked up his cell-phone, and tried to call Anna, but there was no answer. He hurried outside to get into his truck, and almost didn't notice the cool summer rain just beginning its job. He thought surely Anna didn't walk to the creek in the rain, so he drove to her house first. When he pulled into her driveway, he sensed something wrong, but then again, he always did when he was there. It's one of the reasons he couldn’t stand dropping Anna off. He climbed out of his truck, and walked to the front door, only to be puzzled by the fact of it being wide open.

"Anna?" He called.

There was no answer.

Jackson glanced around the small shack, and frowned at what his eyes were seeing. There was a trail of blood on the carpet, and the door to Anna's room was in pieces on the floor. He quickly ran in the house to the direction of her room, forgetting to breathe on the way. He came across Frank sprawled out on the floor, blood coming from his nose.

"What did you do you bastard!?" Jackson's anger swelled up in his throat, as he turned and searched the rest of the house, for any sign of Anna.

Panic spread over him, when he couldn't find her anywhere in the house. He grabbed a knife from the kitchen drawer, ran back into Annas' room, and kicked Frank hard in the stomach, rudely awakening him from his drunken sleep. Frank quickly sat up staring at Jackson in rage and confusion at the sight of him standing there clutching a knife.

"Where is she?" Jackson angrily asked. "You tell me now, you son of a bitch, before I slit your throat into!" Jackson steadily pressed the knife to Frank's throat.

Frank seemed only a little scared. "I guess she left. I don't know where she went, but she better get herself back here. I'm not letting her leave me." He cold-heartedly stated.

"I swear to God if you have hurt her, you won't have to worry about it. Anna may not come back, but I will, and I’ll kill you in your sleep.” The words surprised Jackson when they bravely escaped his lips. He never realized he would kill for Anna.

Jackson went back out into the rain, and jumped back into his truck. He had to find her. He could think of only one place to look, the creek. His heart sunk to the floorboard, as he pictured Anna soaking wet, scared to death, and waiting on him to come save her. He pressed harder on the gas pedal, flying over the slick street, and he didn't let up until he arrived at his and Anna's favorite place. He got out and frantically searched the area. His heart almost climbed out of his chest, when he saw no trace of Anna anywhere. The rain was pouring down harder now, making it more difficult to see.

"Anna!?" Jackson desperately called her.

He ran closer to their favorite dock, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her from the back, sitting on the edge of the dock, hugging and rocking herself back and forth while the rain showered her body. The back of her white tee-shirt was soaked to her frame, and her beautiful curls were arguing with the rain as they were slowly shrinking up. Jackson grew cautious when he noticed her whole body was quivering. The last thing he wanted to do was startle Anna any more than she already was, so he gradually moved toward her. When he arrived close enough for her to hear, he warned her of his presence with a gentle voice.

"Anna, it's me, Jackson. I'm coming to you, ok? I know you’re scared, but it's alright now. I'm here."

Anna still did not budge from her position.

Jackson finally reached her. His hand quivered as he carefully reached out and placed it on the back of her shoulder. Anna cried out and squirmed out from his touch crouching into a deeper ball.

"Anna, you have to let me help you. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to hold you." Jackson begged with tears in his voice.

Jackson patiently tried again. Anna didn't pull away this time. Instead, she sat up and quickly turned into his embrace, burying her face into his chest. When she started to sob Jackson tightened his hold on her, trying to steady her rapid heartbeat, but how could he, when his was just as fast. He promised himself he would never let her go again. He glanced down and noticed the blood on the front collar of her shirt. His jaw tightened, as indescribable anger flashed across his eyes. He loosened his grip on Anna just a little so he could lift her head off his chest and examine her face. Tears started to pour down his face along with rain when he saw the horrible destruction of Anna's beautiful face. Her right eye was swollen shut, and her soft lips were swollen to the size of a golf-ball.

"Oh God, Anna.” Jackson reacted quickly turning his head away not wanting to see anymore.

Anna was cold and wet, and she could no longer feel her face, but nothing was worse than seeing the pain on Jackson's face when he saw her. He scooped her up like she was the lightest thing in the world, and carried her to his truck. Anna could see the veins in his neck boiling while he gently placed her in the front seat treating her like she would break any minute.

"My parents are out of town. I’m taking you home with me." It was more of a command than anything, in case Anna chose to refuse.

Jackson lifted Anna out of the truck keeping one arm around her as he helped her into his house. He managed to keep himself from looking at her face while he pried her wet clothes off. She cringed at his touch.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Jackson promised.

His anger overpowered him when he began to wonder what the bastard had actually done to her.

"I'll be right back." He promised her as he ran and got a towel, and one of his sweatshirts.

Jackson dried her off, and placed the sweatshirt over her head smoothing her wet curls behind her shoulders. He laid her down on his bed piling the covers over her attempting to get her warm. He kissed her gently on her forehead, and quickly changed himself into some dry clothes, and then he climbed under the covers with her. He wrapped his arms around her, and stroked her back until she fell asleep.

While she was sleeping, he quietly whispered, "I love you, Anna James. He'll never hurt you again."

Jackson's entire body burned with flames. He decided what he had to do to fully protect Anna, and he was not scared of it at all.

The next morning, Anna awoke screaming. Jackson sat straight up in bed, startled by her cries.

"It's alright Anna, your safe now, come here." He reached his arms out to pull her toward him.

Anna spoke to him for the first time since he had found her on the dock, her voice shaking as she let the words out quietly.

"He didn't want me to leave him, Jackson. So he did this to me. I hate him so much. He tried to rape me, but I got away. I don't know what to do, he'll come after me, he'll find me. I'm so scared, Jackson." Tears fell from her face as Jackson stroked her frizzed curls, holding her and rocking her back and forth.

"Sh hh. You don't have to tell me, Anna. It's alright. I won't let him near you again. I promise my life on it." He wished he could kiss the pain off her face, but it looked too sore for him to try.

Anna winched in pain while she raised her head and met Jackson's protective glare.

"Maybe we should call the police, Jackson."

Jackson shook his head. "No, Anna. They don't love you like I do. They won't work so hard to protect you. They go by the book. I go by my heart. I'll protect you." He lightly kissed her sore lips and got out of bed.

Anna knew what he was going to do, and she just couldn't let him do it.

"Stop, Jackson! Don't leave me here alone!" She filled as much terror into the request as possible.

Startled by the fear in her voice, he quickly turned to face her.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I won't leave you, I promise, but I am going to do this, no matter what. I promised Frank I would kill him if he had hurt you. I meant it, Anna. I can't let him get away with this. Seeing you like this kills me inside. I can't breathe, and it hurts so much." He pounded his fist against his heart showing Anna exactly where it hurt.

His voice became more persuasive as he carried on.

"He never deserved you, and I'm not going to take the chance of him coming after you again. You should be free to go to college and do great things, not worry every second of the day, about Frank coming after you."

He debated whether or not to bring it up, but he saw no other choice.

"This is not what your Mom would have wanted for you, Anna. None of it is." He knelt down and placed his fingers against the good side of her face.

Anna desired to touch his face too, so she placed her hand flat across Jackson's cheek, feeling the warmness of his skin creating a tingle to creep down her spine. They both stared at each other for what felt like hours. Finally, Anna broke the silence.

"What about you, Jackson? I love you, also. How can I let you kill someone for me? You deserve more too. I can't be the reason for you ruining your life."

Anna let all the tears fall now wondering how she had any left. Jackson wiped them away and gave her a light peck on her sore mouth. He still held her head so she could look at him.

"Anna, I got everything I deserved two months ago. Do you remember what you said in your speech? Whatever our future ends up being, will be our purpose in life."

Anna nodded and Jackson continued.

"Well, falling in love with you was my accomplishment after high school. I believe I was meant to make it through high school, so I could protect you. I don't care about college, going to jail, or spending the rest of my life knowing I killed someone. I care about you and making your dreams come true. That is my dream, Anna. I have to do this. Otherwise, what did I fall in love with you for? You promised me he would not hurt you. Well, he did. So let me handle it now."

His words hit Anna like a ton of bricks, and she realized she was never going to be able to talk him out of doing it.

"I'm going with you." She firmly stated.

Jackson frowned at her and shook his head.

"No way. I don't want you anywhere near him ever again."

Anna became angry. "You said you wouldn't leave me alone! What if he comes here? What if you need my help? Let me go, Jackson. I have as much right to protect you, as you do me."

Jackson considered a few moments before giving in.

"Alright, But I want you to stay in the car."

Jackson waited on Anna to nod in agreement, and then he went into his Parents' room to find his Dad's hunting gun. He checked it for bullets before carrying it out to his truck. He remembered killing many deer with this gun, feeling awful every time he took one of their lives. This time he wasn't going to feel an inch of remorse for what he was on his way to kill.

Jackson pulled the truck into Anna's driveway quickly turning off the engine. He looked across the seat at Anna and noticed her swollen lip starting to quiver. Her fear only worked him up even more for his kill.

He placed a hand on her leg and whispered, "You'll be free soon, Anna."

Anna flung her body across the seat into his embrace holding him tight, praying she had enough strength to hold him back. She knew what he was about to do would change things, someway or another. As Anna held the love of her life in her arms, she sensed ‘The Bad Wind’ on its way to her, once again.

Jackson could have stayed in her arms forever, but he knew if he didn't do this, next time Frank would kill her.

"Let me go, Anna. I have to do this now." He released his hold on her, but Annas' only grew tighter.

"I love you." Anna whispered.

Anna knew it would hurt, but she kissed his mouth with her swollen lips, harder than she ever had before, letting her tongue slide in and meet with his.

Jackson tightened his grip back on her and kissed her back with all the passion he had for her, their whole summer together. A soft sad groan released from his mouth, as he broke free from Anna's kiss, hugged her, and then quickly got out and grabbed the gun from the bed of the truck.

"Wait here." He ordered, but this was one order Anna knew she was not going to be able to follow.

Jackson didn't realize until he stepped into the house, how ridiculous his plan of just walking in and shooting Frank actually was. He never imagined Frank would be standing in the living room, holding a gun himself, pointing it directly at Jackson. Jackson quickly raised his gun and pointed it at Frank. It was not important, but Jackson couldn't help but to think of the situation he was in as a pistols at dawn sort of thing, seen in old western movies.

Frank let out a creepy chuckle as he addressed Jackson.

"I may be a drunk, Boy, but I'm not stupid. Now if you pull the trigger, I have just enough time to pull my trigger, so I kill you, if you kill me. Too bad I wasn't sleeping, huh?" Frank spit a wad of tobacco on the floor.

Jackson pictured Anna's broken face and he raised the gun higher in the air showing Frank he was not backing down.

"How sweet." Frank said sarcastically. "Anna has found someone who would die for her." He chuckled again.

Neither Frank, nor Jackson lowered their guns.

Jackson knew what Frank said was true, and it did not bother him one bit. It made him smile. This was his purpose in life, to die protecting the girl he loved. He could deal with this purpose. He was about to pull the trigger, when he noticed Anna quietly slip through the back door. His heart sank low in his chest while he tried to hide his emotion, but Frank caught on to it, and swiftly turned around, Just in time to see Anna lunge toward him, knocking him down. Frank's grip did not loosen on the gun. He used his other hand to grip Anna around the neck, and then he placed the gun to her temple.

"Put the gun down, boy. I won't hesitate to blow her brains out right here in front of your eyes. She’s not worth anything to me anymore, anyway." Frank Threatened.

Jackson met Anna's frightened eyes and completely lost control of his bravery. He had no choice. If he shot at Frank, there was a great chance he would hit Anna. He raised one arm in surrender, and slowly placed his gun on the floor, keeping both eyes on Anna and Frank.

"Now, please let her go." Jackson begged, choking back tears.

"As you wish." Frank said a little too cold.

Frank released his grip from Anna's neck. Anna let out the breath she was holding, and started to run toward Jackson. At the same time, Frank aimed the gun at her back.

"No!" Jackson screamed as his eyes grew wide with terror. He ran and pushed Anna out of the way, taking the bullet meant for Anna's back to his own chest.

Anna screamed in horror as she witnessed Jacksons' body accept the bullet from Frank's gun, and tumble over. She ignored the gun Frank still had pointed at her, and quickly moved and picked up Jackson's gun. She swiftly turned, aimed, and fired, three times at Frank. She watched with cold, glassy eyes as Frank fell to the ground dead. She let the gun slip out of her hand as she ran over to Jackson.

"Jackson!" Anna screamed.

She knelt down beside him and noticed he was awake and breathing, but barely. She lifted his head into her lap.

"Jackson, talk to me, your gonna be alright." She placed her shaky hands on his face, and moved his head so he could look at her.

"Say something, Jackson. Please." Anna begged.

His eyes were glassy and becoming distant while he fought to let out his words.

"Who knew you had that in you all along?" He joked and smiled at Anna, still struggling to breathe.

“Hold on, Jackson. Hold on.” Anna pleaded with him as she kept his eyes directed onto her.

“I could look at you forever, but it still wouldn’t be long enough.” He weakly whispered.

Anna lightly placed her fingers across his lips, advising him to save his strength. Instead he kissed them with his soft, color drained lips, sending electric chills down the back of Anna's spine.

"Your gonna be ok." He quietly informed her.

He fixed his fading, blue eyes on hers’ and softly whispered his last words.

“I love you, Anna. Go do great things." With that said, he died, lying in the arms of his purpose in life.

Anna cradled him gently in her arms as tears slid down her face and onto Jackson's.

"No! I love you, Jackson. You are my great thing. Don't do this to me. Don't leave me." Complete sorrow and heartache flooded her soul when she finally understood that Jackson had been sent to her like an angel, and then ripped away from her, when his work was done. She raised her head, and closed her eyes as she physically felt ‘The Bad Wind’ blow against her face, for the last time.


The cops treated the whole scene as self-defense. Anna gave her version of the story, leaving out bits and pieces, and changing small facts here and there. She claimed Frank shot Jackson first, and before he died Jackson shot Frank three times. Anna even wiped her prints off the gun, and planted the gun and Jackson in the right places. She made it look believable. She wanted to make sure she was free to go do great things.

Anna became determined to make Jackson's last wish come true, so she attended Harvard and majored in psychology. After that, she went to Harvard Law school. The day she graduated she walked up on the stage, accepted her degree, turned toward the audience,blew a kiss into the air, and whispered, "I'm going to do great things now,” and she did.She became a part time lawyer, and a part time Psychologist. She dedicated her life to helping abused and neglected teens. Most of them needed to be defended, on self defense, and most of them just needed counseling. She even opened up a safe shelter for teens, and even abused spouses, to come to, when they had no where else to go. Anna knew everybody wasn’t as fortunate as she had been. Not everybody had a Jackson sent to them for protection. It was up to her to protect as many lives as possible. It was up to her to do great things, by helping other people do away with ‘The Bad Wind’ in their life.